Short Stack

A player is said to be “short stacking” or “short stacked” if they have a smaller stack of chips.

There are two main definitions for a short stack. The first type of short stack is a player who has just 10 to 15 big blinds in a tournament to work with. The second type of short stack is when a player has much fewer chips in relation to their opponents. For example, if the stakes on the table are at $1/$2 and a player has $80, which is equal to just 40 big blinds, then he or she is said to be playing on a short stack, as most other players will be sitting with $200 in front of them.

Being a short stack is not an ideal situation to be in. A disadvantage when playing with a short stack is that the options you have and how much you can maneuver around the table gets reduced to a large extent. The bets you place and the advanced moves like bluffs should be more educated and one should be more careful. Typically, you must tighten up your play as any raise will be a significant portion of your stack.